9 Uniqlo Brand Marketing Secrets That Make Men Want to Buy

Nowadays, clothes are made and sold in incredible quantities. So chain stores have to work hard to attract customers: marketing experts come up with lots of tricks to get you to spend your money. In our posts, we’ve already examined the strategy of business giants like IKEA and Zara. Now it’s the turn of the third largest clothing retailer in the world: the Japanese brand Uniqlo.

O incredible.club followed the success story of the Japanese company and, at the same time, discovered how to avoid compulsive purchases. In the bonus, we will show you which brand products are the most profitable to buy.

In 1972, Japanese businessman Tadashi Yanai inherited 20 men’s clothing workshops from his father. Maybe Mr. Tadashi had remained just the tailor shop owner, but he traveled to America and Europe, where he visited outlets for the Gap and United Colors of Benetton.

The businessman decided to recreate what he saw in his homeland and founded the Uniqlo brand. However, the Japanese really didn’t want to buy clothes for the mass consumer, considering them to be of low quality. So Yanai came up with an aggressive concept that gradually won over almost the entire world.

Currently, the company’s net income is 17 billion USD, and the brand value is estimated at 7 billion USD. And all thanks to the tricks, invisible to the eyes of the buyer, that were introduced into the company.

At first glance, the brand’s style may seem too simple and even boring, but this is also a marketing ploy. Uniqlo iintentionally creates pieces that are not in fashion and is proud of it. Unlike Zara, which copies items from the catwalks, the Japanese company promotes “clothes for everyone”.

The shelves and hangers of the company’s stores are full of the same clothes: “funny” texts or drawings are not stamped on them. But Uniqlo’s strategy brings tangible profits: people who do not understand anything about modern trends and do not like to spend hours shopping come to its stores.

The company was able to take advantage of people’s interests that were previously ignored by sellers. Japanese clothes look the same on the runway as they do in real life, and you don’t need a fashion consultant to buy them.

The brand decided to defeat its competitors with low prices: 35% of Uniqlo products are sold for less than 10 dollars (about R$ 41.00). By modern standards, this is almost free. Seeing shelves full of relatively inexpensive clothing makes consumers want to buy🇧🇷 Alone, parts are cheap, so we start filling the shopping cart, without even realizing it.

The consumer has the feeling that it is an advantage to buy all the other products in the store. Although this is not entirely true: outerwear, pants and blouses cost about the same as in competitor stores.

Being a company that claims to be one of the largest clothing store chains in the world, Uniqlo has a very modest range of products. This is due to economics: the brand, unlike H&M or Zara, cannot afford to release several collections a year. However, buyers accustomed to abundance may switch sides and choose competitors. And this is what happened to the Japanese to avoid it:

They create the illusion of having a wide variety🇧🇷 All branded clothing is produced in dozens of color variations. For example, polo shirts are made in 80 different shades. In summer they sell winter clothes and in winter they sell summer items.🇧🇷 This approach appeals to practical buyers who prefer to prepare for cold or heat in advance. The brand rarely uses famous designers, thus avoiding fashion failures🇧🇷 Ordinary people are simply afraid to wear clothes that look great on the runway and get hundreds of thousands of “likes” on Instagram. Uniqlo takes no risks and creates simple collections that are sure to please your shopper.

Uniqlo sells almost no shoes, and focuses on underwear, socks and knitwear. And it’s not because nobody wants to buy them. Most of the time, shoppers need items like T-shirts, pants, or stay-at-home clothes. And shoes are something we don’t buy that often, which means we have no reason to visit the store.

The Japanese bet on pieces that, according to hygiene rules, must be constantly changed (or have them in large quantities)🇧🇷 However, there are many possibilities that, after entering the store to buy something insignificant, consumers are tempted by so many options.

The brand focuses on customers between 18 and 40 years old, members of the so-called generation Y. These men and women buy new cell phone models and follow the latest digital technologies, but prefer a democratic style of clothing and everyday accessories.

However, no other company makes affordable clothing specifically for them. Uniqlo sells, in part, items to nerds: because even to make the simplest shirts, they use innovative technology. Rather than spend money on an army of stylists, the brand hired a team of researchers who invented fabrics, be they ultralight, thin or warm.

Uniqlo focuses on smart shopping and benefits from people who want to be different from the “fashion-following majority”🇧🇷 This is also a well-thought-out marketing strategy, although not as banal as the others we are used to.

Uniqlo has a team of experts who analyze purchases in different countries and develop a geographic marketing strategy. For example, in Asia, where the brand comes from, people prefer brightly colored clothes. And European buyers have a more understated style. The color palette of products in the company’s stores depends on the preferences of customers🇧🇷

Size matters too. It’s no secret that the inhabitants of Japan and China almost do not wear XL and larger sizes. But for residents of other countries, they make clothes of large sizes.

Large chain stores try in every way to lead the buyer to the right choice: stylists often put shoes, clothes and bags together, so that the consumer has a clear picture of the look🇧🇷 However, Uniqlo does it differently: they don’t advise how to combine pieces. At first glance, it seems that pants, skirts and shirts are sold at random. But that’s not true.

All branded clothing is initially designed to match each other🇧🇷 Designers develop collections a year before they hit the shelves.

To sell clothes or other products, it is not enough for modern brands to have a variety and low prices. In the Internet age, good reputation is also important. It is not only advertising that invites customers into stores, but also a marketing technique designed to increase customer loyalty.

In 2017, Gordon Reid, a wheelchair tennis player, helped Uniqlo promote the clothing-for-all philosophy. The company participates in a used clothing recycling program and helps those in need. Promote your products on social media and websites. Uniqlo has a Reddit account, which generates 20% of daily online sales.

The brand does almost no advertising on television and invests in cooperation with stars, athletes and informal communication with customers.🇧🇷 In addition, the director of the company, Mr. Yanai, made philanthropy fashionable and attracted public attention to charity.

Chain stores love women for buying too many unnecessary clothes. And the menswear department lags behind the womenswear department. However, Uniqlo opted for the male clientele🇧🇷 Today, 50% of all sales correspond to this audience.

In fact, men don’t usually shop as often as women, but they immediately buy more than women. The need to choose the right combination of clothes kills men’s desire to consume. And in brand stores, a father of a family or a student can buy a casual shirt or trousers and wear them until they wear out completely.

In addition, men are attracted by relatively low prices, because they prefer practical purchases and are not inclined to take clothes that only serve to collect dust in the closet.

Every brand has products that are a total success. But there are, to put it mildly, less successful items. We studied customer reviews and selected the most useful ones:

I like Uniqlo t-shirts, bras, and underwear. Very soft, but not cheap. © Penny Zhang Chinese pants for men are the best in the universe, especially if you’re tall and thin and can’t find clothes in your size. © Dan Lenski The best thing about the store are the basic pieces with well thought out details and good quality. Clothing is very durable and does not lose its appearance for two or more seasons. © Mira Musank I like skirts, in part because most of them have pockets. © mira8484 High-waisted dark skinny jeans! They do not fade after several washes and are simply a must for autumn. © mrrh902

Do you usually go shopping and try on all the clothes from the new collection or do you prefer to buy only what you need? Tell us about your favorite brands and how you manage to save money on your wardrobe. Do you believe that online clothing stores help you save money?